Taiwan’s Sovereignty Our Matter, Say Islanders

More people in Taiwan feel the inhabitants of Mainland China should not have a say in the island’s potential claim for independence, according to a poll by Taiwan Thinktank. 79.5 per cent of respondents think Taiwan’s eventual decision on sovereignty belongs to the 23 million people of Taiwan exclusively, up 3.4 points since January.

Taiwan was formed in 1949 after the government of Chiang Kai-shek was forced out of China as Mao Zedong’s communists were gaining prominence. To this date, Mainland China considers Taiwan a “renegade province” and reserves the right to bring it under control.

In March 2005, legislators in China’s National People’s Congress passed the anti-secession law, which aims to prevent Taiwan’s independence. The legislation calls for the use of “non-peaceful means and other necessary measures to protect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Adopted in 1991 by the executive branch of the Taiwanese government, the National Unification Guidelines were a proposed three-step process aimed at eventually reintegrating the two states of Taiwan and China. In February 2006, Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian announced that the guidelines would “cease to apply.” Chen’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) openly advocates for Taiwan to declare its formal independence.

DPP member Su Tseng-Chang took over as Taiwan’s premier in January 2006. On Mar. 14, Su accused the opposition Kuomintang Nationalist Party (KMT) of not caring enough for the island’s independence from China, declaring, “The biggest difference between KMT and DPP candidates is we insist on Taiwan’s identity. We will always emphasize Taiwan’s sovereignty and national security.”